The Boston Red Sox are remaking their pitching staff this offseason, and Steven Matz was a casualty of that.
The effective left-handed reliever departed Boston, agreeing to a two-year contract with the American League East-rival Tampa Bay Rays on Monday.
The Red Sox had acquired Matz from the St. Louis Cardinals for minor-league infielder Blaze Jordan at the trade deadline to bolster their bullpen, since 2025 was Matz’s first full season as a reliever. Matz was largely effective for Boston, posting a 2.08 ERA and one save in 21 relief appearances.
He also threw a pair of scoreless innings in Boston’s AL Wild Card series against the New York Yankees.
The Red Sox Have Other Pitching Options Besides Steven Matz
Acquiring a rental like Matz for a prospect like Jordan, who is MLB ready but does not project as a top-flight major leaguer, was a perfect low-risk move that helped Boston get to the playoffs.
Boston’s bullpen was a strength in 2025, especially its high-leverage relievers of which Matz became one. But even though Matz was a fit, the Red Sox could pretty easily find a low-cost option to replace the 34-year-old lefty who only threw 21 2/3 innings for Boston.
Boston could use at least one high-leverage lefty to complement southpaw closer Aroldis Chapman. But it will find another option, potentially bringing back free agent Justin Wilson or bringing in another former Yankees reliever in Caleb Ferguson, who like Matz was a trade-deadline acquisition of the Seattle Mariners last year.
Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow was a left-handed reliever in his playing days, so he surely knows the importance of the role.
Plus, the bullpen is where games are won and lost. Even though the Red Sox pen went 36-29 in 2025, their early-season struggles resulted in them finishing 23-27 in one-run games, which was a big reason why they finished five games back of the Yankees and eventual AL champion Toronto Blue Jays for the division crown.
Craig Breslow Is Having A Good Offseason (So Far)
Breslow catches a lot of flack from Red Sox Nation, but the Boston pitching staff is already much improved from 2025 — and there’s still three more weeks of the year.
The Sonny Gray trade with the Cardinals both gives Boston a frontline No. 2 starter behind AL Cy Young runner-up Garrett Crochet, and ahead of Brayan Bello, who slots better as a No. 3 pitcher. That trio, plus the emergence of lefty starter Connelly Early, should make the Boston starting staff one of the most formidable in the AL.
Despite Matz’s departure, and the relatively thin left-handed relief market outside of him, Ferguson and Wilson, Boston’s bullpen should again be a strength. Breslow just needs to address the team’s offense, though by all accounts he is trying to do so at this week’s Winter Meetings.
But even though the Sox are reportedly in on both Kyle Schwarber and Pete Alonso, Breslow may want to work outside the confines of the relatively thin and bloated free agent market. Jeff Passan of ESPN reported “Boston is discussing its outfield surplus with multiple teams.”
It’s safe to assume the Sox will do something else soon. Stay tuned.
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